Youth activists protest CW village on Yamuna in assembly

India

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Published: Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 19:34 [IST]

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New Delhi, Sep 18 (UNI) Youth activists protesting unbridled construction on the banks of Yamuna and the acquisition of the river bed for the Commonwealth Games created a furore in the Delhi Assembly today.

The youth activists shouted slogans on the last day of the Monsoon session against the passive manner of MLAs on the issue of commercialisation of the Yamuna riverbed.

During the Zero Hour, Sunil Prabhakar, an activist who was waiting in the Visitors gallery stood up to say that members had time to discuss paltry issues like MLA funds, drains and lighting on roads but nobody had the sense to bring the issue of the Yamuna to vnotice.

Prabhakar was instantly taken out of the Assembly by the Marshall.

Thereafter, another activist Kapil Mishra stood up and started accusing the establishment of being interested in sharing the spoils of the Commonwealth Games and not caring about a resource as important as a river. He too was removed from the floor of the Assembly.

Soon after the incident, members of the House, including the Assembly Speaker, condemned the incident. Many of the members called for an enquiry as to how the youths managed to enter the Assembly.

The youths have been protesting for the last 50 days on banks of the Yamuna against the building of the Commonwealth village on the site.

Sanjay Kaul, President, People's Action said '' We are aware that through this act an infringement has been caused. But we are also aware that in spite of a long duration of civilized protests there has not been even a murmur from a single MLA of Delhi on this issue. This act of defiance is the result of the apathy of elected representatives to discharge their duties in articulating the concerns of their constituencies and therefore the bigger crime is theirs.'' UNI